Metastatic Breast Cancer
Valerie’s Story
Valerie David’s story is one of extraordinary resilience, purpose, and unwavering hope.
Valerie is a 27-year cancer survivor who has faced multiple diagnoses across her lifetime—from Stage III Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma to Stage II breast cancer, and now living with Stage IV metastatic breast cancer with bone metastases. “Breast cancer has shaped who I am today by inspiring me to help others through the performing arts,” she shares. For the past eight years, she has been living with metastatic disease, continuing to defy expectations and rewrite what survivorship can look like.
Read MoreCaroline’s Story
Caroline will never forget the day that changed her life forever. “August 21, 2024,” she shared. “It was two days after my mother’s birthday and two days before my husband’s 50th birthday.”
Read MoreLucy’s Story
Lucy’s diagnosis came in a moment that could not have felt more surreal.
She was out to dinner with friends on a Saturday night when she received the results of her PET scan. What she read changed everything.
Read MoreSadiqa’s Story
Breast cancer was something Sadiqa thought she understood—first as a child watching her aunt go through it, and later as a physician caring for others. But at 34, just beginning her career and newly married, it became her own reality.
Read MoreBeth’s Story
Beth Gelman’s story is one of profound loss, unwavering honesty, and a deliberate, powerful choice to live with joy.
Read MoreAlison’s Story
In May 2023, Alison Feller was diagnosed with stage 1 invasive ductal carcinoma. Her daughter Annie was just four years old at the time, and the news sent Alison into a spiral of shock and fear. “I remember sobbing in the middle of the night after my diagnosis, terrified that I might die and leave my daughter without her mom.”
Read MoreAvamarie’s Story
When Avamarie Warden received the call confirming her breast cancer diagnosis, she was surprisingly calm. She had already seen the results in her medical portal days earlier, giving her time to brace herself. But there was one moment she will never forget. “The hardest part wasn’t hearing the diagnosis. It was calling my mom.”
Read MoreHelena’s Story
SoCal Model, Living with Metastatic Breast Cancer & Funded Family
Read MoreCheryl’s Story
This past fall, Cheryl walked the runway in Boston with her son beside her—bringing light, warmth, and presence to the stage. Now, just a few months later, she’s headed across the country to join her dearest metastatic breast cancer (MBC) friends in Southern California, dancing once again in celebration of life, connection, and resilience.
Read MoreRina’s Story
When Rina Hawkins felt a lump in early 2024, she trusted her instincts and went to the doctor. Her gynecologist, trying to offer reassurance, suggested it might resolve on its own. But as the mass grew, so did Rina’s concern—and when she returned for a follow-up, the tone shifted. Soon she was navigating mammograms, biopsies, and what she describes as “a wild ride” into the world of breast cancer.
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